Plaid Brooch with the great kilt

[celtiac]

I have a great kilt, or rather 9 yards of tartan and when I wear it, I pull the pleats by hand and belt it. I acquired a cheap brooch, that is a round circle of metal with a hardwood tapered "pin" and that's what I have been using to fasten the two tag ends of tartan over my shoulder. It's not a very high quality piece of metal and looks cheap but it works.

Any ideas on where to get a more serious piece of metalwork, better quality of the same style?

Sorry, no pictures.

[Profane James]

Definitely Etsy.com
There are many, many artists making beautiful items there. I have had a couple custom circle brooch and penannular brooches made from woolymossroots and PurpleRavenBoutique respectively.

[Luke MacGillie]

If you are using 9 yards, and its doublewide, AKA something north of 54 inches wide, that is the equivalent of 18 yards of tartan. That is a whole lot to ask of any brooch.

Im 5 foot 8, 180 lbs and swim in 3 yards of doublewide. Now I dont normaly use plaid brooches as they had fallen out of fashion in the 18th century, but many reenactors do use them, even without the evidence and they will very easily pin and hold the cloth to the underlying jacket.

This photo does not show the brooch well, and should not be taken as representative, in that it was for a funeral and was the first time I had the uniform on in a decade, (This was the catalyst for me shaving and comming out with the unit again) but you see how the great kilt comes up and pins to the jacket.

This is the brooch I have, actualy more viking era, rather than something that was worn in the kilt era..........



Wearing a similar brooch in 1995:


This is just after the funeral, brooch is obscured.



Now keep in mind that today, these are decorative items, and most are made that way, not to be functional items of everyday dress......

[deloceano]

If you just look on ebay for "Penannular brooch", there are plenty for about $20 or under. One about 3" in diameter should do the trick.

[Jack Daw]

Some Highland games will feature a vendor that sells a wrought-iron penannular. That's how I found mine.

[OC Richard]

Didn't plaid brooches come in after the great kilt became extinct? Weren't great kilts secured at the shoulder with a ribbon?

It always bugs me to see things like Outlander with huge Victorian "Gaelic Revival" brooches worn to secure 18th century great kilts.

Or the style of brooches worn hundreds of years, perhaps thousands of years, before the great kilt appeared in Scotland. (Iron Age brooches and the like.)

Throughout the Victorian era and even today, in the army, the so-called "drummers plaid" (actually worn by all Other Ranks, not just drummers) which sort of recreates the look of the old great kilt is held at the shoulder with a ribbon rather than a brooch. (Distinct from the belted plaid worn by officers from the retirement of the great kilt to today.)

The last vestige of the military great kilt, the plaid worn by ORs in Full Dress. Note there's no fringe and no brooch.

[Luke MacGillie]

Didn't plain brooches come in after the great kilt became extinct? Weren't great kilts secured at the shoulder with a ribbon?

It always bugs me to see things like Outlander with huge Victorian "Gaelic Revival" brooches worn to secure 18th century great kilts.

Or the style of brooches worn hundreds of years, perhaps thousands of years, before the great kilt appeared in Scotland. (Iron Age brooches and the like.)

Throughout the Victorian era and even today, in the army, the so-called "drummers plaid" (actually worn by all Other Ranks, not just drummers) which sort of recreates the look of the old great kilt is held at the shoulder with a ribbon rather than a brooch. (Distinct from the belted plaid worn by officers from the retirement of the great kilt to today.)

The last vestige of the military great kilt, the plaid worn by ORs in Full Dress. Note there's no fringe and no brooch.

A Simply "Aye" just wasn't enough of a thanks for that photo!

[Luke MacGillie]

You can see a very similar treatment for plaid suspension on the image of Lord Loudoun when he was painted wearing the uniform of the 64th Regiment, Loudoun's Highlanders.

[MNlad]

Then again, if you are not looking for something historically accurate but well executed, it's hard to beat the work of Nagle Forge for the price. http://nagleforge.com/product-catego...laid-brooches/

[figheadair]

You can see a very similar treatment for plaid suspension on the image of Lord Loudoun when he was painted wearing the uniform of the 64th Regiment, Loudoun's Highlanders.

Ditto the portrait of Captain Ranald McKinnon, 84th Regt.